Digital Single Market

Broadband Days 2017

Related policies

Broadband Days 2017 brought together the most important actors on the broadband deployment and policy making scene. This event featured the launch of the Broadband Competence Offices Network and announcement of the winners of the 2017 Broadband Awards. Plenary sessions and panel discussions focused on broadband development from different perspectives.

Day 1 - Monday, 20 November 2017

Broadband for Everyone in Europe - Launch Event of the Broadband Competence Offices Network and the Support Facility

The European Network of Broadband Competence Offices (BCOs) provides technical support to representatives of local and regional authorities on ways to invest effectively in broadband, in combination with financial instruments whenever possible. They also advise citizens and businesses on how to obtain support for better access to broadband services.

On 20 November, EU Commissioners and high level representatives of the Directorates General responsible for Communications Networks, Agriculture and Rural Development, and Regional and Urban Policy publicly launched the BCOs Network and its Support Facility.

National and regional public authorities from across Europe, Commission officials and other key actors discussed the challenges Europe faces in rolling out broadband, especially in rural and sub-urban areas, as well as the opportunities connectivity offers in bridging the digital divide.

European Broadband Awards

The European Commission gave the European Broadband Award to successful high-capacity network projects across Europe. Projects in the area of innovative financing, business and investment models, cost reduction measures and co-investment opportunities, the strengthening of territorial cohesion in rural and remote areas, the increase of socio-economic impact and affordability of services and a contribution to openness and competition of the network have been selected and evaluated. According to their level of excellence, three projects per category have been selected and the winners have been announced during the Broadband Awards in the evening of the 20th of November.

Watch the recording of the Launch Event of the Broadband Competence Offices here.

Day 2 - Tuesday, 21 November 2017

"B-Day: Towards a Giga Europe" Conference

The proposal for a new rulebook for the providers of internet and telecommunication services – the European Electronic Communication Code – provides the legal framework for the new gigabit ambitions for 2025. The Wifi4EU initiative and the launch of the Connecting Europe Broadband Fund (CEBF) complement the existing commitment to connectivity from the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) and the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI).

The 2017 B-Day was dedicated to clarifying the synergies and interactions between the 2025 strategic objectives, the regulatory changes and the funding instruments. It focused on the role that these instruments could play in the post 2020 period to facilitate a better match between investors and projects promoters. The discussion was enriched with interventions from high level speakers reporting new initiatives and good practices and experiences at EU, Member State and regional level.

Watch the recording of the "B-Day: Towards a Giga Europe" Conference here.